Mya Nicol
When she was in her final year at Waitaki Girls High School in Oamaru, Mya Nicol was given the impression she was ‘too smart’ to study at Ara Institute of Canterbury and that university would be a better option for her. But a visit to Ara showed her that academic study with a personal approach was possible.
“I knew it was the perfect fit for me,” she says. “I liked the smaller learning environments, the closer relationships you’re able to have with your tutors and how you’re not just a number - you’re able to be you.”
The visit helped Mya decide where to study, but she still needed to choose what to study. Having been involved in sport throughout her childhood, there were two Ara courses that she was interested in: a degree in sport and exercise science and a certificate in exercise.
In the end, the shorter duration and content of the certificate won out. However, once she started the course, Mya was surprised to discover how in depth it was. “I thought it would be more laid back than it was, but the content delved into a lot more than I expected.”
The certificate covered everything from anatomy to aspects of child play—an area Mya’s passionate about—and she liked learning from a variety of tutors. “It broke up the way we learnt, and it was refreshing.”
Mya says the skills she gained at Ara—including knowledge of active play with children and communication skills—have been especially useful in her job at Netfit Netball, an organisation that creates and provides physical and digital programmes to educate, entertain and inspire netballers.
In the future Mya hopes to start her own wellness clinic focusing on giving back to the community, especially children in her hometown of Oamaru. “Ara has opened my mind up to so many possibilities and given me the skills to explore these opportunities.”